Capsaicin exerts anti-benign prostatic hyperplasia effects via inhibiting androgen receptor signaling pathway

Background:Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)is a common condition in middle-aged and elderly men.Enlargement of the prostate causes lower urinary tract symptoms.Capsaicin is a phytochemical extracted from chili peppers and exerts many pharmacological actions,such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects.Methods:Our study investigated the effect of capsaicin in vitro and in a mouse model in vivo.A prostatic stromal myofibroblast cell line(WPMY-1)was co-incubated with testosterone(1µM)and different concentrations of capsaicin(10–100µM)for 24 and 48 h.Capsaicin(10–100µM)significantly inhibited testosterone-treated WPMY-1 cell growth at 48 h by MTT assay.The testosterone propionate(7.5 mg/kg)-induced BPH mouse model was used to examine the anti-proliferative effect of capsaicin.Treatment with capsaicin(10 mg/kg)for 14 days significantly attenuated prostatic hyperplasia.Finasteride was used as a positive control.Results:Capsaicin significantly decreased prostate weight and prostate index(prostate/body weight ratio)in BPH mice.The expression of 5α-reductase type II,androgen receptor(AR)and prostate specific antigen(PSA)protein expression and PSA serum were all significantly reduced in capsaicin-treated BPH mice.In addition,capsaicin also activated transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 mediated apoptosis and autophagy in BPH mice.Conclusion:These results demonstrate multiple positive effects of capsaicin in controlling prostate growth and suggest its therapeutic potential in the treatment of BPH.

Optimization of Population-Level Testing,Contact Tracing,and Isolation in Emerging COVID-19 Outbreaks:a Mathematical Modeling Study—Tonghua City and Beijing Municipality,China,2021–2022

Introduction:The transmissibility of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)Omicron variant poses challenges for the existing measures containing the virus in China.In response,this study investigates the effectiveness of population-level testing(PLT)and contact tracing(CT)to help curb coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)resurgences in China.Methods:Two transmission dynamic models(i.e.with and without age structure)were developed to evaluate the effectiveness of PLT and CT.Extensive simulations were conducted to optimize PLT and CT strategies for COVID-19 control and surveillance.Results:Urban Omicron resurgences can be controlled by multiple rounds of PLT,supplemented by CT—as long as testing is frequent.This study also evaluated the time needed to detect COVID-19 cases for surveillance under different routine testing rates.The results show that there is a 90%probability of detecting COVID-19 cases within 3 days through daily testing.Otherwise,it takes around 7 days to detect COVID-19 cases at a 90%probability level if biweekly testing is used.Routine testing applied to the age group 21–60 for COVID-19 surveillance would achieve similar performance to that applied to all populations.Discussion:Our analysis evaluates potential PLT and CT strategies for COVID-19 control and surveillance.

pH-sensitive KHA/CMC-Fe^(3+)@CS hydrogel loading and the drug release properties of riboflavin

To improve drug utilization,reduce the drug administration frequency,increase the release time,and reduce the drug side effects in the human body,we prepared(KHA/CMC-Fe^(3+))@CS hydrogel spheres using green and natural potassium humate(KHA),carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC),and chitosan(CS)as raw materials and Fe3+as a crosslinking agent,and loaded them with riboflavin for drug sustainedrelease study using the drop ball method.The tests with FTIR,SEM,TG,and X-ray diffractometer showed that the coordination among KHA,CMC,and Fe^(3+)formed a three-dimensional network structure,where cs was encapsulated on the surface of the hydrogel spheres via noncovalent bonding,resulting in good thermal stability.The stability,drug loading,swelling,and in vitro release of the(KHA/CMC-Fe^(3+))@CS hydrogel spheres were investigated.The results showed that the hydrogel spheres were significantly pH-sensitive,with 11.16 g/g higher swelling in an alkaline environment(pH=7.4)than that in an acidic environment(pH=1.2).The swelling and drug release process of the hydrogel spheres were analyzed using mathematical models,concluding that the hydrogel swelling follows Schott second-order swelling kinetics,and the drug release mechanism was Fickian delivery mode.

Prediction of the short-term and long-term mortality in difficult-to-wean patients by transthoracic echocardiography and diaphragm ultrasound

High mortality rates of 25%to,50%were reported in patients with extubation failure.liExtubation failure or re-intubation was an independent risk factor for death after extubation,not the precise reason.Common reasons included primary respiratory failure,cardiac dysfunction,ineffective cough,excess secretions,upper airway obstruction,etc.Therefore,death after extubation should be related to these reasons above in theory.